Entry Eleven: The Fountainhead

'The Fountainhead' is an American film released in 1949, based on the novel (1943) by Ayn Rand who also wrote the screenplay adaption. Twelve publishers rejected the manuscript before the novel was eventually published and there were certainly mixed reviews once published. The word 'bizarre' comes to mind when first faced with watching this film. I'd not come across the film before but had been pre-warned that this was what I could expect. My initial impression of the film was that it was a purposely badly acted, awkward, slapstick comedy which very openly addresses the flaws in 'the establishment' and conventionalism.

The main focus for me in this film is Howard Roark, a leading character in the storyline. At the beginning, he is told in architecture school that the best architecture must copy the past rather than innovate and improve. Roark is an individualistic architect who won't conform to architectural conventions and mediocricy. Unlike Peter Keating, a character who chooses to conform to convention as an architect in order to develop within society. Roark turns down job roles in order to stick to his morals and struggles to find anyone to work for with the same vision as him. Roark's lover, Dominique Francon is a very odd character, her belief is that non-conformity has no chance of survival so she both helps and undermines his work.  Roark wants to introduce new materials and architectural forms and develop modern architecture but is constantly faced with opposition and a reluctance to move away from traditions, from 'what has always been'. This theme has been common in many of the texts we've addressed over this semester, including Faust.